american helicopters firing down, no americans were killed. >>> a fierce battle to avoid the fiscal cliff took a new turn today. treasury secretary tim geithner making a bold prediction that the republicans will go along with a tax hike for the healthy. but it certainly didn't sound that way on the other side. what is at stake for the average american family? with 30 days to go until the deadline? david kerley at the white house tonight. >> reporter: president obama and his white house team appear confident with the stronger hand in talks with house republicans, demanding and believing tax rates for the wealthy are going up. >> there is no responsible way we can govern the country with those low rates in place for future generations. those rates are going to have to go up. >> i was flabbergasted. i look at him and i said, you can't be serious. >> reporter: the two sides are seriously far apart. the president wants $1.6 billion in new tax revenue over ten years. the speaker wants half that. the president wants spending cuts, $600 billion. to medicare and other programs. not enough, says th